Background

Cocoa farmers in the Amazon region of Peru face substantial yield losses caused by two major pod-boring insect pests: Carmenta foraseminis and Gymnandrosoma aurantianum. These pests can destroy up to 60% of the potential harvest. Existing pest management options compatible with agroecological and organic farming principles are labor-intensive, costly, and only partially effective, increasing the risk that farmers turn to prohibited chemical pesticides.

This project builds on existing research to develop and validate pheromone-based pest control solutions that are environmentally friendly, scalable, and compatible with sustainable cocoa production systems in Peru.

Key figures

  • Country and region(s): Peru

  • Project duration: January 2026 – December 2027

  • Implementation partner: Bioversity International

  • Further partners: APPCACAO, regional technical committees, cooperatives in San Martin, Huánuco & Ucayali, SENASA, DEVIDA

  • Direct and indirect stakeholders: Cocoa farmers, cooperatives and extensionists

  • Focus areas covered: Sustainable cocoa production

  • Budget: USD 93’628

Main objectives

The overall objective of the project is to develop and validate environmentally friendly, cost-effective pest control solutions for major cocoa pod borers in Peru, thereby improving farmer incomes and supporting sustainable cocoa production systems.

The specific objectives are to:

  • evaluate the effectiveness of existing pheromone lures for controlling Gymnandrosoma aurantianum in cocoa farms;

  • develop and optimise pheromone lures for the control of Carmenta foraseminis under real farm conditions;

  • assess the impact of pheromone-based control on pest incidence and cocoa yield across different agroecological contexts;

  • support knowledge transfer to farmers, cooperatives, and technical institutions to enable the effective and safe use of pheromone traps at scale.

     

Impressions